On July 9, 1969 — President Richard Nixon watches the Senators for the 4th time this season, and they finally win one for him, beating the Indians, 3 – 0, behind Joe Coleman’s four-hitter.
Ted Williams summed it up after winning Wednesday night something like Richard Nixon must have after winning last November: “It’s about time!” “I’ve known him since 1950 and I’ve been a Nixon man the time,” Williams insisted after his Washington Senators blanked Cleveland 3-0 with the President in attendance, in Nixon’s three previous trips to the ballpark this season meant nothing but grief– and losses– or the Senators.
The Senators, who had beat Cleveland 10 of 12 without Nixon’s help, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Mike Epstein’s bloop double. The President arrived an inning later with daughter Tricia and son-in-law David Eisenhower, just in to see Del Unser single for a run and Frank Howard do the same for another. Joe Coleman breezed with a four-hitter, struck out 11, and gave the President the final of the game when he stopped the Washington clubhouse. Nixon wouldn’t take it. though, Coleman autographed it. “He really shows me something by coming out,” Coleman said. “It gives you a big boost when you know he’s in the stands. I hope he keeps out, especially when I pitch.”
Ed Doherty, a Senators official reported the President kept watching the Scoreboard during the game, hoping ‘Baltimore would lose so Washington could, pick up ground. \ “He was overjoyed when. Dave McNally was knocked, out,” Doherty said. * “And kept rooting for Howard to home run. Every time Howard; came up, he jumped up and] shouted, ‘Hondo, Hondo, hit 1 one.’ ”
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